Ironing pad



Oct. 24, 1933. c. E. HAMILTON, SR 1,931,539

IRONING PAD Filed July 28, 1952 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1933 *1 STATES PATENT j OFFICE The invention relates to ironing pads such as are utilized in ironing tables, bucks, rolls and the like of pressing and other ironing machines, more espeeiallypads of the nature set forth in my prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,054,407.

The present invention has for an object an improved mounting of the helical springs, employed in these pads, upon a plate or support member and whereby the said springs are more readily attachable to and detachable from a fastening element; also,'to effect the same without the use of any special tool, it being possible to remove and/or install conveniently and rapidly a springat the placeof use, if desired.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision'of .a spring pad which will admitof ready assembly by the user and in the required form, and 'with'springs of different degrees of resiliency, if desired.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a spring pad wherein it is not required tofirst remov e the base or holding plate when removing a spring therefrom and/or replacing the. same;

In carrying out the invention, a perforated plate is utilized for mounting the springs therecver adjacently one another and in such a man ner that the various spring elements may rapidly and conveniently be attached thereto, and as readily removed in case replacement becomes necessary. To this end, a button member, preferably resilient as by being made hollow and slit longitudinally, .is provided with a head adapted to pass through a perforation of the plate to receive the lowermost convolution of a helical spring element designed to be snapped thereover.

This convolution locks itself in a reduced neck portion of the button immediately below the head thereof through spanning the space between said. head and the outer-surface of the plate, the inner end of the button being flanged or having outturned fingers which press against the underfaceof the plate and thus retain not only the button member to the plate but also the spring element which has been snapped over the head of the button member.

' The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a part elevation and part vertical section of the upper portion of a cuff press, showing the padded buck and cooperating platen thereof.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the novel spring pad.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of a number of fastener elements in position for attaching the springs to the padone spring being shown, in vertical section, in position and provided also with a suitable cap; and Fig. 4 is a view in elevation with the different parts shown in detached relationship.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary underneath View of a fastener element secured in position for holding a spring.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the fastener element. I Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a buck or suitable support member with which the novel spring pad may be used, which pad is to be bent to conform to the particular shape of the buck shown, although it isto be understood that the pad may be variously shaped and in accordance with the desired supporting surface upon which it is utilized. In pressing machines such as are utilized for the ironing of cuffs of shirts and embodying the angular shaped support or buck, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing,it is particularly difficult to retain suitably the springs of the pad in their proper positions and to prevent their interlocking.

As shown, the individual springs 11 are ofthe helical type, preferably tapered or of reduced diameter at both ends, and are designed to be retained upon a suitable supportas the metal base plate 12'which, in turn, is'to be secured,

in the present embodiment, to the upper surface 13 of the buck. A steam-heated platen 14 cooperates with the top of the pad in the usualm'anner in the pressing of cuffs therebetw'e'en.

As the wear on the springs in pressing devices of the aforesaid type is particularly heavy, 'n'e-' cessitating frequent replacement, and as the springs in view of their inclined location must be securely retained and properly positioned on their supporting plate, provision is made to mount the same in a novel man'ner thereon'and to afford at'the same time means for enhancing the withdrawal of the moisture from the goods.

As shown in the drawing, the base plate 12 is provided with a plurality of perforations 1 5 corresponding to the desired spring locations.

ill)

- replacement, when required,

resilient metal. As shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to 6, each button member is provided with an enlarged outer portion or head 20 having immediately below the same a neck portion 21 of reduced diameter, the head and neck portion being designed to pass through a perforation and then to have snapped thereover the lowermost convolution 22 of a spring element. This convolution. then fits about the neck portion between the and the outer surface of the plate 12 to bridge substantially the distance between the plate and head and to draw thereby against the inner surface of the plate the flanged innerend of the button, thus locking said button member as well as the spring element to the plate.

The flange of the button member may con veniently be provided by upsetting the inner. end of the member, for example, as a plurality of more or less radial fingers 23 extending out wardly and the same arepreferably somewhat resilient so as to press against the under surface of the plate 12 when a spring is located in position by the button member. As stated, this button member is preferably provided from a single piece of metal whichis longitudinally slitted to the head portion to afford the fingers 23constituting the flange and also to allow of the draining therethrough of any/moisture from the goods. ,1

' A spring, if desired, may be capped by means of the cap member 25 which is constituted by a cylindrical tubular portion having the outer recess or groove 26 at its upper end and the flange 27. An inturned portion .28 extends upwardly and is pierced as at 29 so that when the top of a pad is in contact with the goods withdrawal of moisture therefrom will not be impeded, passing through the'individual springs. Openings 30 may, als be provided in the annular gutter thus formed to drain the same of any water of condensation. This feature is more particularly set forth and claimed in my c'opending application .for Ironing machines, Serial No. 545,637,

filed 'June 20, 1931; andno claim is made herein to the cap.

"A suitable cover cloth 31 may be provided in the usual manner over the tops of the springs or, rather, the flanges 27 of the caps.

By means of novel fastener arrangement hereinbefore described, a spring as a whole may not only be readily attached to and suitably positionedonits supporting plate, but is quickly and conveniently withdrawable therefrom for without requiring any special tool or the like.

Further- 10336, it is possible to ship the plate, springs andbutton membersto' the ultimate user in disassembled state; and the same may then be assembled at the place of use to provide the pad, first cutting the plate to the desired size and shape and then bending the same to the form required, whereupon the button members are. inserted through the perforations thereof and the individual springssnapped thereover.

No difficulty is experienced, moreover, in the thereover.

It is to benoted, also, that springs r different degrees of resiliency may be supplied so that the user may arrange the resiliency of certain portions of the pad surface to suit his particular requirements. For example, several rows of springs of lesser resiliency may be located along the two lower edges of the buck to act as stops for the platen, while the remaining intermediate spring elements, such as have to accommodate buttons, etc., are of greater resiliency so that they may be pressed further inwardly.

I claim:

1. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a button member having a head, flange and intermediate neck portion, the head and neck extending through a perforation of the plate and the flange engaging the outer surface of the plate, and, a helical spring element having its lowermost convolution fitting about said neck.

2. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a button member having a resilient head, flange and intermediate neck portion, the head and neckl extending through a perforation of the plate and the flange engaging the outer surface of the plate, and a helical spring elementhaving its lowermost convolution snapped about said neck. 3. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a hollow, slitted button member having a resilient head, flange and intermediate neck portion, the head and neck extending through a perforation of the plate and the flange engaging the outer surface of the plate, and a helical spring elesent having its lowermost convolution snapped about said neck.

4. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a button member having a head, flange and intermediate neck portion, the head and neck extending through a perforation of the plate and the flange engaging the outer surface of the plate, and a helical spring element having its lowermost convolution fitting about said neck and bridging substantially the distance between the head and the inner surface of the plate to draw thereby the flange against the outer surface of said plate for removably retaining a spring element thereto.

5. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a button member having a head, a neck portion extending therefrom, and outturned fingers at the outer end of the neck, the head and neck extending through a perforation of the plate and the fingers engaging the outer surface of the plate, and a helical spring element having its lowermost convolution fitting about said neck.

6. An ironing pad of the character set forth, comprising a perforated base plate, a hollow, slitted button member having a resilient head, a neck portion extending therefrom, and outturned resilient fingers at the outer end of the neck, the head and neck extending through a perforation of the plate and the fingers engaging the outer surface of the plate, and a helical spring element having its lowermost convolution snapped about said neck.

CHARLES EDWIN HAMILTON, SR. 

